Robber smuggles drugs into prison months after parole

A MAN who robbed a Rockhampton petrol station with a replica gun while concealing his face with a Harley Davidson rider's mask started trafficking drugs into a prison three months after released on parole.

Darren James Hobson, 36, pleaded guilty in the Rockhampton District Court today to one count of trafficking.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O'Rourke said Hobson met one of his co-accused while serving time for the robbery - an inmate - and was introduced to the other co-accused - a former corrections officer - by the inmate.

She said the trio started the trafficking of buprenorphine into the Maryborough Correctional Centre "bang on three months after (Hobson) being released on parole”.

Ms O'Rourke said there was a commercial goal to the operation, despite the trio only successfully getting three supplies into the prison in seven weeks and only $450 deposited into an Ubet account for the drugs.

The court heard Hobson had returned two positive drug tests while on parole and he was ordered back to jail as a result.

It was after he returned to prison that the trafficking offences were uncovered and charges were laid.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said Hobson, who grew up in Gladstone, started using cannabis when he was 16 and his drug addiction escalated to using methamphetamines and amphetamines.

She said his mother died about eight years ago and his father was now ill and Hobson was anxious to be released from prison to care for his father.

Judge Michael Burnett sentenced Hobson to two years and nine months prison, cumulative on top of the robbery sentence of five and a half years handed down in May 2014, with a parole eligibility date of February 13.

Hobson pocketed $853.55 from the robbery which took place on Thozet Rd on November 26, 2013.